Understanding Emotions and Behaviour
LOVE God LOVE Neighbour LOVE Self (Matthew 22:36)
As a Church of England school, we are committed to putting Christian values at the centre of all that we do. Our school’s Christian vision, Love God, Love Neighbour, Love Self, takes inspiration from and is deeply rooted in the Greatest Commandment: “Love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbour as yourself.” We want every child in our care to understand love, see love, show love and know that they are loved.
We are an inclusive school and our vision, though distinctively Christian, welcomes and values all faiths and cultures within our diverse school community. Our school’s core values of love, friendship, compassion and respect sit at the heart of our school community and underpin every aspect of school life.
Our Core Values
Love: “Do everything with love”. (Corinthians 16:14)
Friendship: “Encourage one another and build each other up”. (Thessalonians 5:11)
Compassion: “Be kind to one another”. (Ephesians 4:32)
Respect: “Treat others as you want to be treated”. (Luke 6:31)
These values form our belief that all children deserve to learn in an environment that is safe and secure, where all children and staff are cared for, listened to and positively supported to achieve their best. We do not leave this to chance. We seek to be positive role models to our children, guiding and teaching them through our school’s ‘LOVE Promise’. We:
Look after our school and each other
Only ever do our best
Value everyone and remember our manners
Enjoy our learning!
A Relational, Trauma-Aware Approach
As a Trauma-Aware school, we understand the vital importance of building positive, trusting relationships between children, staff, families, and peers. We aim to create a school environment where all children feel secure, valued, and respected, offering a ‘secure base’ for learning and growth.
We understand that children who have experienced trauma may struggle with emotional regulation. Our staff are trained to recognise signs of distress and respond appropriately. We provide tools and strategies to help children manage their emotions effectively, promoting self-regulation and resilience.
We recognise that sensory experiences can significantly impact a child's behaviour and well-being. Our classrooms and learning spaces are designed to be sensory-friendly, considering factors such as lighting, noise levels, and visual stimuli. We provide sensory breaks and calming areas where children can regulate their sensory input.
We adopt trauma-informed practices throughout the school. Our staff receive training in trauma awareness and understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences. We prioritise creating a safe and predictable environment, with clear routines and expectations. We utilise strategies such as trauma-sensitive language, de-escalation techniques, and trauma-informed interventions when needed.
We incorporate social-emotional learning into our curriculum to support the development of empathy, self-awareness, and positive relationships. Through activities, discussions, and role modelling, we help children develop essential social and emotional skills that positively contribute to their overall well-being and behaviour.
School Rules
Children feel safe and secure when there is predictability which is why we have three simple school rules:
- Safe
- Ready
- Love
An essential element of our behaviour system is the relentless modelling and highlighting of our daily routines:
- Wonderful walking means no talking
- Lovely Lines
- Mealtime Manners
Recognition and Appreciation
At St Chad’s, we firmly believe that every child has the right to be noticed, appreciated and celebrated. We use the online platform, Class Dojo, as a way of engaging parents as partner’s in their child’s education and maintaining good communication regarding their child’s achievements and behaviour.
Children can earn individual points for:
- Daily habits e.g. remembering to bring in their book bag
- Behaviour linked to the school rules e.g. sensible walking to stay safe
- Behaviour linked to the school’s LOVE Promise e.g. being a good friend, tidying up
- Learning behaviours e.g. asking a good question
Each class has a ‘Recognition Board’. As a class, children and adults will decide on a specific area linked to our school rules, Safe, Ready, Love, that they would like to improve e.g. one voice if children keep talking over each other. The aim is to get everyone's name on the board by the end of the session/day/week (depending on the age of the class/context).
We have a weekly ‘LOVE Book’ for children who have shown one our school’s values. LOVE Book Collective Worships are held with the Headteacher every Friday.
At the end of every half-term, there is a Kings and Queen ceremony dedicated for recognition of two children from each class who have made particularly noteworthy progress for attainment, achievement or attitude. Parents are invited to attend the presentation of certificates and ‘carnation’ of the children.
Where a child has gone ‘over and above’ with their learning or by their actions, they can be sent to see the headteacher. The child will receive a headteacher’s sticker and the headteacher will personally inform parents on the gate at home time.
In order to encourage and reward tidy eating and good table manners over lunchtime, we have a weekly LOVE table in our dinner hall (a decorated table in the main school hall). Senior Leaders, class teachers and members of the pastoral team will carry out a lunchtime duty once a week and eat their lunch with the children in the hall. Lunchtime staff will nominate 6 children daily for showing ‘marvellous mealtime manners’ to sit at the LOVE table.
Responding to behaviour incidents in a relational way
Behaviour incidents are dealt with promptly and pro-actively. We have an agreed system in place to ensure a consistent and fair response when incidents of unwanted behaviour do take place, as outlined in our Relational Behaviour Policy and Anti-Bullying Policy. Copies of our policies can be found here.
We recognise that anger is often just the 'tip of the iceberg', and there are deeper emotions and needs that need to be addressed and supported. The consequences that we use at St Chad’s always have a clear link to the incident and help the child to learn how to behave more appropriately should a similar situation occur - tailoring this to the needs of the individual child.
We balance protective consequences to ensure safety and wellbeing with educational consequences that teach and encourage long-lasting change.
Protective consequences are required to protect the rights of others and keep a child or young person safe. This may include:
- increased staff ratio
- slight changes to the school timetable
- arrangements for access to outside space
- child escorted in social situations
- differentiated teaching space
- coregulation between adult and child
- providing the child with an opportunity to ‘put things right’ through a restorative process e.g. writing an apology letter/drawing, tidying up if they have made a mess
- ensuring the child completes the task they have disrupted
- rehearsing/modelling situations through social stories and providing educational opportunities for the child to learn about the impact of certain actions and behaviours
We understand that behaviour can sometimes be the result of educational, mental health, other needs or vulnerabilities, and will address these needs via an individualised graduated response, as outlined in our SEND and Inclusion procedures . Mental health and wellbeing are promoted through our curriculum, leadership practice, policies, values and attitudes, alongside our social and physical environment.
Parents as Partners
We recognise the vital role that parents and carers play in their child's personal development and education which is why we are fully committed to forging strong home-school partnerships. Members of our school's pastoral team play a key link between home and school. Miss Gilsenan, our school's SENCO, Mrs Kay, our school's Welfare Officer and Mrs Sohanpal, our school's Family Support Worker, provide pastoral and family support to our whole school and may work closely alongside families where behaviour is stopping a child from learning, both inside and outside of school.